Ruby wearily waved to Lamgwim. She was tired, and confused. What did the spiders mean? What did cheese puffs have to do with it? What were cheese puffs? Who were roses and moons? So many questions.
She stopped at the door. She was panting, and Lamgwim looked out the window for signs of pursuit. He was stroking a cat. The tabby was usually out in the stables chasing mice. "Fools tried to steal some of the cats a while back," he examined his knuckles. Ruby saw that they looked rawer than they had been. "Good money in cats these days."
"I noticed. Rats seem to be everywhere. Must be because of how crowded the city is getting." She rubbed the back of her neck. Across the street a pair of beaten up men were glaring at her. The brunt of the glare was focused on Lamgwim. Ruby turned around and smiled at them. She slowly blinked twice and went in. They were muttering to themselves and leaving.
"Do you know where Master Gill is?"
"Library," The cat began to purr as he stroked it. Ruby inched away from it. "Nothing bothers a cat for long. Oh, someone came in asking for you, a real shady character. He wanted a tall red haired girl, we were going to tell him to keep moving, but Gilda opened her mouth."
"Thank you."
Ruby moved through the common room, eyes scanning the crowd. Several of the patrons whispered about how the false Dragon escaped, and perhaps wasn't false. Most spoke of the Whitecloaks and how Logain would do some good if he took them out with him. Sure enough near the back wall was someone in a hood. By the size and width of the shoulders Ruby guessed it was a man, he was finishing some ale.
Ruby ignored him and moved to the library. Loial and Master Gill were still playing stones. Loial was winning. Loial nearly always won at stones. The innkeeper looked up. "I was begging to worry where you were, girl. Thought you had run into trouble with those white flashing traitors, or run into that beggar or something."
Ruby unbuckled her belt and left her sword at the door. She collapsed into one of the cushy chairs. "Oh I met him. The beggar. It was right before I saw the false Dragon. Did he ever stink. The beggar. His mother must be rolling in her grave. I know mine would if let myself become that filthy." She paused. "Where's Mat. Do you know anything about that man in the common room?"
"He came back not long before you, telling us to always carry a map or something. I think he is in your room reading."
"Oh. That's good. In all the confusion, I thought..." She trailed off. Ruby told them about everything that happened. They had heard rumors of it, but didn't know what to make of them. Loial forgot the game and leaned forward. His ears twitched.
"Ta'veren."
"Bloody ta'vereness." Ruby muttered as she finished her story. They sat in their own thoughts. Loial nodded to himself. "I would like to go with you when you leave Ruby."
"I thought that was settled Loial. You know what's chasing us." Ruby's mood did a 180 and she became stern.
"Darkfriends," replied Loial calmly, "Aes Sedai, and the light knows what else. Or the Dark one. You are going to Tar Valon, and there is a very fine grove there, which I heard the Aes Sedai tend well. In any case, there is more to see in the world than groves. You are truly Ta'veren Ruby. The pattern weaves itself around you, and you stand in the heart of it."
"I suppose there's no talking you out of it?"
Loial shook his great shaggy head in a negative. Master Gill just sighed. Ruby found the flame and the void. Now was not the time to be ruled be emotions. She closed up everything, stopping only at the point of being cold.
"You can come Loial. I don't know why you want to, but I would like the company." She forced a grin. "It's always nice to have more people." Except when those people are Aes Sedai.
There was a quick tap at the door and Gilda came in. She looked like she about to break down. "Master Gill, come quickly please. There's Whitecloaks in the common room."
Gill jumped up. He swore and took the girl by the hand. She was shaking. "Calm down. Run and tell them I'm coming, then stay out of the way. You here me? Keep away from them." The serving maid rushed from the door, her head bobbing up and down. Master Gill rubbed his head. He addressed Loial, "You had best stay here."
Loial snorted. "I have no desire for more run ins with the Children of the light."
The innkeeper disappeared out the entrance and Ruby followed, if at a slower pace. She reached for the heron-marked blade, but decided to leave it with Loial.
When the reached the common room, it was like a graveyard. All previous whispers had cut off as soon as the five Whitecloaks entered. The hired guards were paying as little attention as possible to the scene unfolding. The people were not looking at the Whitecloaks. One of the Cotl had lighting bolts under the sunburst on his cloak.
Master Gill became the neutral dealer as he walked over to the under-officer. "The light illumine you, and our good Queen Morgase. How may I help you º"
"I have no time for your drivel innkeeper!" The under officer growled. Ruby could imagine the drool being flung from his mouth like a rabid dog. "I have been to twenty inns already, each worse pigsty than the last, and I shall be to twenty more before the sun sets. I'm looking for Darkfriends. A boy from Two Rivers º"
Master Gill exploded on the Whitecloak. "There are no Darkfriends in my establishment! Everyman here is a good Queens man!"
"Yes! And we all know where Morgase stands, and her Tar Valon witch!" He sneered, thinking he caught the balding man in a trap. The sneer melted off his face when chairs scrapped against the floor. Even the shadowy man in the back was standing, all were still waiting for a signal.
"It will go easier with you innkeeper," Said the under officer coolly, "if you cooperate. The temper of the times goes hard with those who shelter Darkfriends. I wouldn't think an inn with the Dragons fang on it's door would get much custom. Might have trouble with that on your door."
"You get out of here now. Or I'll send for the Queens guards to cart what's left of you to the middens."
All around the room the sound of steel being drawn was repeated. Ruby suddenly wished she had her own sword with her. She moved closer the fat innkeeper. Serving maids rushed from the room.
The under officer looked around in disbelief. "The Dragons Fang."
"Wont help you five." Master Gill raised one finger. "One."
"You must be mad Innkeeper, threatening the Cotl."
"Whitecloaks hold no writ in Caemlyn." Ruby felt someone press her sword into her hand. It was Mat. "Two."
"Can you really believe this will end here?"
"Three."
"We'll be back." With a flutter of his cloak the under officer turned to leave. Lamgwim stood in the doorway, just be sure it was okay for them to go. Tension was released when the door closed. People sat down, ordered more ale and began their chats again. Some even walked over to congratulate Master Gill on what he had done. The man who kept his hood up walked over too, Ruby had a thought that maybe he was a Myrddraal.
Mat put a hand on her shoulder. "Shouldn't forget your weapon, what if you had needed it back there?"
"I have fists you know."
"Well I'm getting some fire whiskey." He moved to the bar.
"Excuse me."
"Huh?" Ruby spun. It was that fade like person. "What do you want."
"If we could talk privately." His voice wasn't as harsh as she imagined it would be.
"I suppose." Ruby put a bit more weight into setting the sheath in place then she needed to. "Lead the way."
The man nodded and took her over to an unused room after passing the library. Ruby tapped her foot. "What did you want? And don't try anything."
"I only wanted to talk to you." He moved his hood and Ruby stared.
"But? Your, Logain. The False Dragon."
(S.C.)
Mat was doing his best to get drunk. He saw Ruby go into a backroom with someone. "He had better not do anything to her, or else."
One of the maids, Chelsa, was tapping his arm. "Excuse me Sir, there's a lady. In the kitchens. She's asking for you and Mistress Ruby by name."
Mat brushed back his brown hair. "By name, I never mentioned Ruby to anyone. Except at that one tavern but...bloody ashes." He hopped off the chair and ran to find Ruby. There was only one person who would know.
He was coming down the hall when he stopped. She was coming out a door talking to that person. Ruby saw him and smiled. "Good timing. Mat, Logain, Logain, Mat."
Mat looked the fellow up and down. "Nice Ruby, introducing False Dragons."
Logain shifted his feet. Though he was older than them by at least ten years, he was still nervous. He had been prepared to face his doom, gentling, when she appeared. It seemed like this 'Mat' was mocking him.
"Anyway. Ruby, we got Moraine in the kitchen."
"Who's Moraine?" Asked the false Dragon.
"An Aes Sedai, but don't worry. I have a plan."
They walked in, all three. When they came in Logain had his hood down and smiled cheerfully at the group in the kitchen. Ruby rushed over to Perrin and kept hugging him. Perrin looked away, but returned the hug. It felt like the air around him was thick, and depressed. Ruby looked at his face. No smile, and his eyes looked haunted. Ruby shivered and gave him one last tight hug that made him grunt.
Nynaeve smiled and looked all of them over. She insisted on giving them all a through check-up. She thumbed back eyelids, timed pulses, and seemed some-what disappointed to find both reasonably healthy. Egwene hugged them both, but seemed somewhat reserved. Ruby glowered at her. Logain looked at Ruby, and would later swear the temperature in the room dropped several degrees.
"I knew you were alive. I always knew it. Always." Egwene had small tears coming down her checks. She was embracing Mat.
"I did not." Nynaeve said. Her voice was sharp when she looked at Egwene, but she softened at the them. "You look well Ruby, not overfed by any means, but well, thank the light."
Ruby came to give the Wisdom a light hug. "I could only hope. We didn't eat the best, but we ate. You will always be my Wisdom. There were times when we needed one and didn't find one."
Nynaeve smiled at that. She seemed to preen under the praise. Master Gill came in wringing his hands. "Chelsa told me you would be in here. I guess you do know these people."
"Yes." Ruby looked at Mat, who had somehow stayed with her through all this. "Yes, our friends."
Moraine and Lan had waited for the Emonds Fielders to get reacquainted. The Aes Sedai spoke, "I don't believe I've met you." She was addressing Logain. He gave a bow.
"I'm Niagol Ralba, Aes Sedai. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Moiraine didn't speak for quite some time. Then she whispered to the room, "The wheel weaves as the wheel wills." She turned to the innkeeper. "I have seen a great deal of cats. Do you have a rodent problem?"
"Rats Moiraine Sedai. Been flocking to the city with all the people I suppose. Not that I don't keep a clean place you understand." The last was added like a man pleading innocence at the gallows. Master Gill wanted to ill toward him and his inn, especially Aes Sedai brand ill.
"With your permission Master Gill. It is a simple matter to keep rats away from this street. With luck, the rats would not even notice they are being kept away."
He frowned, but bowed. Clearly he didn't like the idea of a gift from Aes Sedai. "If you are sure you don't want to stay at the palace, Aes Sedai."
Moiraine told them to leave, that they were crowding the kitchen. "Only because you couldn't meet us in the stable or common room." Mat mumbled. Ruby giggled as she left with them, Perrin cracked a smile. "I was wondering about that. She wants us to not draw attention, but she leaves the kitchen door wide open, any person with half a mind would know something was up."
Logain just shook his head. "They all have there own schemes. Sometimes they forget others can plot too."
"Well, she said she could find you and Mat, and she did. When we rode into the city, the rest of us couldn't stop staring-well, all except Lan, of course-all the people, the buildings, everything." Perrin walked with his head down. "Its all so big. And so many people. Some of them kept staring at us too, shouting 'Red or White?' like it made some kind of sense. More guards then I could count at the gates too."
Egwene looked imploringly at Mat. "What does it all mean?"
"Nothing. At least nothing we have to worry about. We're leaving for Tar Valon remember?"
"Ruby." Nynaeve said as they entered the attic room. The Wisdom was searching through her bag. She brought out an envelope of white powder.
"Yes ma'am?"
"I didn't want to say this with her down there, she would insist on healing and we don't need you falling off the horse, but you have a small fever."
Ruby winced. "I do feel a bit hot, and I have a fever but I thought it was normal. I'll get over it." Please please please, don't make me drink that stuff.
"You likely will, but this will speed it up." Nynaeve took a spoon and measured some out, and dumped it into a glass of water. She mixed the substance and held it out to the red haired girl.
Ruby took the glass and chugged it. "Why does it taste so bitter?"
"Because it does. That's why." Egwene sniffed. "Don't be so immature."
Logain was standing with Perrin, watching it all with faint amusement. So much potential...
END...